Xue Shi [Blood Stone]
by Erushi
Summary: Some time after the fight against EstE, WeiB and Schwarz 'work' together when they find theselves in trouble. Not to forget some very interesting people assigned to protect them... =) R+R please!
1. Chapter 1: The Start of It All

Disclaimer: Any characters from WeiB Kreuz DO NOT belong to me. *sob sob* However, the rest of the characters DO belong to me so if you borrow them (as if anyone will) please let me know. Thanks. =)  
  
=-=-=  
  
Xue Shi [Blood Stone]  
  
By: Elemental Gal  
  
Chapter 1: The Start of It All  
  
He stared in absolute fascination at the girl before him. She looked seventeen, and with her midnight hair, startling blue eyes and great figure, she was one hundred percent sexy, especially clad in that black, skintight mini-dress. Already he was naked, and he continued staring at he girl on the other side of the room. She walked over to him, hips swaying, that sweet, intoxicating voice of hers filling his ears, soothing him. He drew her into a tight embrace, kissing her neck fondling her hair, running his hands over her back, eager to rid her body of the black dress. She caressed him with the tips of her fingers, light as a feather. He sighed with pleasure, thinking how good his luck was, to meet such a rare beauty in the bar only a couple of hours before, and how she was to be his bedmate now.  
  
So absorbed he was in his own thoughts of self-congratulation that he did not notice a sharp prick at his neck, did not realize anything until he fell to the ground, body writhing in intense pain as he stared up to the girl, eyes full of shock and bewilderment. In between his gasps of pain he managed to choke out his dying words. "Who. who are you?"  
  
"Judgement. Your judgement," was the cold reply.  
  
Then, as he stared at terror at the form before him, no longer beautiful but terrifying, he felt a sharp pain in his chest as darkness claimed him for eternity.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
The computer hummed softly, casting an eerie green glow on the blond- haired girl's face. Green eyes studied the computer screen which kept changing its contents, as her fingers flew over the keyboard at a furious rate. Finally her lips curved into a smile as she paused, quickly taking in the screen's latest contents.  
  
"Excellent." Her voice was more than a little smug as she reached to click the 'save' button.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
"Strange, to think we could enter here so easily, without even once encountering a guard." Ken glanced around, more than a little puzzled. "I would have expected security to be a lot tighter here."  
  
"Whatever. We just ought to be glad that we have met no obstacles so far. Better pray that this mission succeeds. All our past attempts to get this guy have failed, with all his bodyguards and all. And Kritiker is after us to get this job done. It wouldn't look good on our records if we fail this one." Youji glanced around. Despite his bravado, he himself was feeling very nervous, though he would rather die then admit it. He headed towards the door, and almost tripped over the redhead before him who had suddenly stopped. He was about to swear when the sight at the other side of the door caught his eye. His face turned a nasty shade of green. "I think the reason why there were no obstacles is answered now."  
  
Curious, both Ken and Omi walked over to take a look, and their reactions very much mirrored Youji's. For in the next room men dressed in guard uniforms all lay sprawled on the ground, many of them headless, all lying in pools of blood. The coppery smell of blood met their nostrils, making them wrinkle with distaste.  
  
"I guess someone has beaten us to it. But what could have caused this. this mess? What do you think Aya-kun?" Ken turned to his fellow assassin, who was crouched down by a dead body. They still called the redhead Aya, even though they knew that his real name was Ran, and that calling him Aya would cause some confusion since Ran's sister, Aya, stayed with them. (I like to call him Aya too, come to think of it. ^_^)  
  
"The blood is fresh. They were recently killed, all by the same way: something with a sharp blade slashed them with great impact at their throat, decapitating most of them." His answer was short and clipped. "Any evidence of any unauthorized entry before us, Omi?"  
  
"No," Omi, who was typing away furiously at his laptop, glanced up. "Come on, let's continue. His rooms should be at the top most floor."  
  
Silently, the four members of WeiB continued, spotting more guards in the similar state along their way. Finally they reached the top floor.  
  
"I guess that's it," Youji said, pointing at the lone door with two decapitated guards lying at the door."  
  
Aya glanced around as his teammates got into position. He muttered under his breath. "On the count of three. one. two. three."  
  
Together, they burst into the room.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Nagi frowned at the constantly changing computer screen before him while ghostly fingers typed over the keyboard. This was supposed to be an easy one, a research mission. Which usually meant he had to do all the work while the other three members of Schwarz lazed around. Brad was in his study reading, Schuldich somewhere outside messing with some poor soul's mind, and Farfarello somewhere in the basement inflicting self torture, or as he called it, hurting God.  
  
They were all worried, well, maybe all except Farfarello. But they hid it well. Recently, Brad seemed to be having mysterious visions, all which seemed to point that EstE was back, more powerful and ready for revenge.  
  
However, now was not the time to worry. Just get this done with, and you can take a break, try to find away to get back at the others for making you do all the dirty work, the brown-haired youth chided himself. He had just clicked the 'save' button when something else on the Internet caught his eye. A feeling of wrongness touched him. No one was supposed to be able to access those files! Frowning, he mentally moved the mouse over to investigate.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Mira gave a look of disdain at the shriveling corpse before her. The poison had done its job well. One prick of the needle, and he was dead. Suddenly, her head jerked up as a voice sounded in her head.  
  
Mira, four people have just entered the building. This was followed by mental images of the four people in question - one redhead, one blonde, and two brunettes, all male and all armed. They look like business. Better get out of there. I think you have done enough killing already. That guy and hundreds guards is more than enough.  
  
At that moment, Mira could hear footsteps, and voices. "Damn," she muttered silently under her breath, then replied to the mental message. I hear them. Don't worry, Saki, I'm coming. But are you sure killing that son of a bitch and an entire contingent of guards can certainly be considered a overkill? Considering all that they have done, I would consider it an underkill.  
  
She felt a mental sigh. Just shut up and come out.  
  
I'm coming already. She snapped back, before throwing on her black leather coat which concealed her chakram. Then, as agile as a cat and quicker than the eye could follow, she flipped out of the window, landing safely in a crouch ninety floors below, next to a beautiful snow leopard. She opened her mouth to speak. "Come on, let's return back to that apartment."  
  
Together, both girl and snow leopard faded off into the shadows of the night.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Chelsea's eyes widened as she noticed something was wrong. She swore under her breath. Someone had just discovered her! Well, she wasn't worried. After all, the file was nearly fully saved, and it would take a lot longer for the person on the other line to trace her. Maybe she should teach that person a lesson.  
  
Three seconds later, she had removed the diskette from the disk drive, and her fingers were flying furiously over the keyboard as she devised her punishment.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Aya burst into the room and stopped short. Not even the curtain moved in the still night air. In short, there was no one in this room other than the four WeiB guys. He stifled a groan. Just what he needed. They had been given the slip AGAIN! Or so he thought. He heard Youji mutter a curse somewhere behind him. A hand touched his shoulder, and Omi's voice sounded. "Look."  
  
His gaze was directed to the floor. There, the shriveled corpse of a dead man lay sprawled on the ground eyes wide open and showing the whites, mouth open in an 'o' of horror. Men clothes lay in a heap beside him. Despite his shriveled appearance, the tattoo still rather visible on the dead man's shoulder identified him as their target, and he had definitely died only a few minutes recently, probably a few minutes before.  
  
"Someone was here before us. Someone with the same target." Youji's comment was unnecessary. It was more than obvious.  
  
"But who? Which other assassin group could have done this? Schreient and Schwarz have been disbanded, as far as I know. Schwarz could have regrouped, but this doesn't look like their style of killing. As for Schreient, almost the entire group is dead. Know any other group of assassins other than us?" Ken pondered aloud.  
  
"How do you know it was not only one person? Why a group?" Youji's skeptical reply came.  
  
"No one could kill so many guards and him in such a short time, and all at once."  
  
"Perhaps. But you should have noticed, all the guards were killed in the same way, even though our target was killed differently. But this might just indicate."  
  
"Guys, that's enough!" Seeing a full-blown argument coming their way, Omi quickly cut in. "Since our target's dead, we might as well return to the Koneko. The main idea was to have this guy dead, and he is already dead, so why bother? We can tell Manx about this incident later."  
  
But still, Omi thought quietly to himself, back at the Koneko, how could this somebody, or somebodies, manage to get so close to him and slaughter many of his guards in less than an hour? It was something like a miracle, considering WeiB had tried ways and means to get close to their target, close enough to kill, but have all their plans thwarted so many times?  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Nagi swore loudly, only to have Brad shout at him from the room next door not to speak such offensive language, it was unfitting for people his age. He could hear the front door downstairs open. Probably Schuldich. He gritted his teeth in frustration. He had set up a trace when the hacker had dropped out of sight, just a second before the trace could go through. And now, he had a hacker on the loose with how-much-he-did-not-know information not meant for others.  
  
Suddenly, the computer gave a sharp beep. Then, before his very eyes, all his hard work and research from the past four hours started to wipe themselves out from the computer's memory.  
  
"NANI?!" He immediately jumped in to save them. However, he was to late. Only a paragraph or so of his hard work remained. All the rest were gone.  
  
"Iie!" The poor fifteen-year-old was so worked up that his control over his powers slipped for a mini-second. But that was more than enough. The purple vase on the cherry wood side table flew into the air and smashed in to the wall, spilling water and roses on the carpeted floor. Then, as the bits of pottery fell to the floor, the door burst open as both Brad and Schuldich ran in. They stopped short, taking in the mess before them.  
  
"My vase! My favourite vase! How could you smash it like that?!" Schuldich screamed at his youngest teammate.  
  
"Well done, Nagi. You did me a great favour by getting rid of that purple horror. Now I can get it replaced with an oriental one." Brad turned to the fifteen-year-old before him, a half smile on his lips. Then, a slight frown replaced his half smile as he gestured towards the mess. "Though I have nothing against you honing your telekinetic powers, I would appreciate it if you did not practise indoors, although it does help in getting rid of unsightly furniture. You would clean this mess up before you go to bed."  
  
Nagi nodded dumbly, watching with faint amusement as his orange- haired teammate crawled on his fours picking up bits of purple pottery. His attention was brought back to his team leader when Brad walked up to the computer. "Well, let's see how much you've done in the past four hours."  
  
Nagi winced as Brad looked at what pitiful amount of his hard work was left. Even Farfarello, who was down in the basement, paused in the middle of his activities of self-torture and looked up as Brad's angry voice sounded throughout the house.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
"You can't be serious! Us and Schwarz?! We're as different as black is to white! And we're supposed to work together and protect each other's backs?! Tell me you're joking!" Youji was the first one to break the stunned silence.  
  
It was about a week since the incident in which their target was found dead, killed not by them but by some unknown person or persons. And the news which Manx had just broken to them was even more shocking than that incident.  
  
Manx gave an impatient sigh. "I didn't say you HAD to work together and be each other's bodyguards round the clock. All you have to do is try not to rip each others' throats out. Apparently, Kritiker received an anonymous message that you and Schwarz were in great danger, because of something both of you possess. A check with Schwarz showed them that they were aware, through Mr. Crawford's skills, that they were in great danger, though any other details they do not know. They are willing to cooperate with us as long as need be."  
  
Seeing the worried look on Aya's face, she smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, your sister is not a target. She can remain safely at the Koneko."  
  
Aya gave her a suspicious glare. "How do you know all that? And what do you mean by 'she can remain'? Are we going anywhere?"  
  
"Well. Kritiker has this anonymous informer who would occasionally contact us with some very important tips on big cases. I think he only gives information when the case can affect him. The only thing we can figure out about him is that his male. Any other attempt to trace him always falls short. This bit of information was also given by him. For safety reasons, we will be moving you to a safer place in a week's time, and there you and Schwarz will stay for as long as need be. Meanwhile, X, that's what we call our mysterious informer - X, says he would be sending in protection for you people until this affair has ended. This envelope has all the details you would need to know. See you soon." With that, the redhead handed Omi a manila envelope and left the Koneko.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Mira stopped playing with Saki, her face its usual expressionless mask. She glanced at the corner, and in her usual cool and emotionless voice, announced the arrival of a guest in the luxury apartment. "Really, Caos, you should not sneak up like that. I really ought to put a protective shield around this place."  
  
There was a laugh, and Chelsea glanced up to see a tall, aristocratic looking man who looked about twenty-seven, with dark blond hair and cat- like eyes of ever-changing colour appear in the corner of the living room.  
  
"How did you know I was there? I even held my breath." The man pouted.  
  
"That's because you're so LOUD. I could hear your heartbeat from right hear. And besides, your magical aura is really noticeable, since you didn't even use a cloaking spell," Mira replied coolly, pointing an accusing finger at him. Saki looked up to give him an unnerving stare with his tawny snow leopard eyes.  
  
"Oh well, at least it's nice to know my training has not been in vain. Your skills are still sharp even after so many years." His face lit up with a boyish grin. "Hello once again, girls."  
  
"Lord Caos!" Chelsea jumped up and tried to do a curtsey, quite forgetting that it was quite impossible to do so when dressed in slacks, while Mira and Saki watched on with amusement. They couldn't be bothered to do so as Caos was Mira's mentor, the latter who had spent the later part of her adolescence under his training.  
  
Chelsea suddenly felt very self-conscious in her black slacks and green jumper. She was always filled with awe for Caos and his sister Cria, despite them telling her many times to treat them as normal people, no milord and milady and such. She threw a slight scowl at Mira, who remained sprawled on the couch, fingering the blue-white-silver gem she always wore at her neck, hanging from a silver chain, and looking fabulous in a black sweater worn over faded black jeans, emphasizing her unearthly beauty, from the raven hair to the impossibly blue eyes.  
  
Mira never had problems with addressing the two higher beings. To them she was like their daughter, like their close friend. Chelsea was probably regarded just as a friend on the same standing, even though she and Mira were sworn sisters, while Jamie and Marie, who were Cria's handmaidens, were regarded by Cria and Caos as students, nothing more.  
  
It was Mira who brought Chelsea's mind to the present. As usual quick to the point, she asked, "What do you have for us to do now, Caos?"  
  
Her mentor smiled. "The killing and getting of information last week was well done. So tell me, how do you find it, living in this world, in Japan? And why such a small home? Mira's mansion is a thousand times bigger and more comfortable."  
  
Mira merely shrugged. Chelsea, however, replied, "Fun. Mira and I split the cost of this apartment. Things here in Japan are rather expensive and this is already considered a luxury apartment. The language sucks, but I can manage. As for Mira, I think she can manage everything well."  
  
Mira cleared her throat and tried again. "Your purpose for coming?"  
  
Caos nodded. "Yes, I wish for you to play bodyguard to the following two groups of assassins. Each of them possess something of great value, from a slight skirmish. Anyway, I'm in contact with the police force here, a secret group called Kritiker. The two groups are called Schwarz and WeiB. Tell you what, each of these two files contain all the background information you would need to know, including the details of your eight charges and the situation. Read." He passed them each a file and watched them open and read the material.  
  
"Kritiker would move them to a safe house in a week's time. You would join them there. However, you are to start your duty at once. Don't delay. Understand?" when he saw them nod, he disappeared.  
  
Chelsea glanced at her sworn sister, eyes wide with amazement. "To think they each contain a piece of the Xue Shi in them."  
  
Mira nodded. "Yes. I can see why we have to act fast. Let's see. Do you want to do the research or trail them?"  
  
"Research." Chelsea patted her laptop fondly. Then she laughed.  
  
"What so funny?"  
  
"The thought of you dressed in a school uniform, chasing eight guys round Japan. Though you have to admit they look cute in the photos. Thank goodness we look eternally seventeen, we could then be able to mingle around them much more easily. And it is lucky that we are infertile, thanks to our being immortals and our powers, or accidents might happen." Chelsea ducked a cushion thrown at her direction by Mira, but was still unable to avoid it. She had forgotten that Mira had a really good throwing arm.  
  
Despite the pain from the cushion's attack, Chelsea fell onto the floor, roaring with laughter at the thought of Mira trying to be sweet and school-girlish, watching out for eight ultra good-looking guys and at the same time trying to put up with any of them should they be too smitten by her. And all the while throughout her laughing fit, Mira and Saki stared at her, wondering if she had gone mad.  
  
"Enough is enough." Mira made a fist at her giggling friend, its meaning clear though her face was still devoid of emotion. "We start tonight. See where the two groups can be found. Tomorrow's Sunday, I just might pay them a visit. Without them knowing who I actually am, of course."  
  
"Sure. But on one condition."  
  
Mira glanced up at her friend, curious. "What condition?"  
  
"I get to go with you to visit those guys from WeiB. And maybe those guys from Schwarz too. They look too cute to be true."  
  
=-=-=  
  
This story picks up some time after the sequel to Shadow Storm (I've yet to think of a title) takes place. However, the story's pretty much understandable by itself, so don't worry if you think you're missing out on anything.  
  
I'm really really sorry if the characters are out of character, but I wrote this at 3 a.m. *makes a face which reads PITY ME!!!* so that's my excuse.  
  
Yupz, the remainder of the story will have the WeiB characters having more screen time =). In the meanwhile, R+R please! 


	2. Chapter 2: Transition

1 Xue Shi [Blood Stone]  
  
By: Elemental Gal  
  
Chapter 2: Transition  
  
Aya sighed, scowling at the group of girls around him in irritation. Today was Sunday, one of the Koneko's busiest days. And Sundays meant that all the girls did not have to school, giving them the chance to hang around at the Koneko, taking full advantage of the fact that all the guys would be present. That he minded, but it was the most recent addition to the crowd that irked him the most.  
  
Ever since word had got around that his sister was working at the Koneko, countless of guys had flocked there just to goggle at her. Just like now. He could practically hear them, pleading with his harassed sister for dates. With much difficult, he extricated himself from the crowd of fawning girls and headed towards the crowd of boys around his sister, ready to tell them off.  
  
Just at that moment, someone standing at the back of the crowd at the entrance caught his eye. A girl, just like most of the crowd. But what differentiated her from the rest was not her astonishing beauty (though she was really beautiful), but a sense of purpose and a supernatural aura that surrounded her. There was something not quite right about her, but he just could not pin it down. And apparently, he was not the only one to have noticed her.  
  
Omi, who had some-how-or other escaped from his crowd of girls, came up to him and nudged him, nodding significantly at the girl in question. Ken, who had mysteriously appeared behind them, asked in a curious whisper, "Who do you think she is?"  
  
"No idea, but she seems to be looking for something. Why don't you go ask her yourself, Ken-kun?" Omi gave his teammate and evil grin.  
  
"Ask Youji-kun. He might appreciate it. Or maybe you should. Most of the girls like you."  
  
"Maybe Aya-san. They're both girls, they would be able communicate easily."  
  
"What? Omi-kun? Shy?"  
  
"Oh, shut up!"  
  
Aya closed his eyes and sighed as the conversation near him became a full-blown argument. All around them their groups of fans had started pressing in, making him feel even more irritated. And not only that, those boys surrounding his sister were getting more and more persistent -  
  
"Excuse me." A voice interrupted his thoughts. Aya glanced up, ready to snap at the person. It was that girl, the one at the back of the crowd. She had managed to maneuver her way through the bunch of screaming and drooling girls until she was before him, and he had not even noticed. He really must be getting rusty if this was so.  
  
Next to him, Omi and Ken had snapped to help you. Ken's voice sounded. "How may I help you, Miss?"  
  
She seemed to hesitate. "It's really rather private. Is there any way I can speak with you without such a big crowd?"  
  
"Sure. Lunch time is in half an hour. We can close shop for a while and talk then. In the meanwhile, please make yourself comfortable."  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Saki, I've met and come in contact with WeiB. Hopefully all would go well later. How's it going with Schwarz?  
  
Dull, very dull. Not one has stepped out of the front door.  
  
I see. Keep watching, then. I'll contact Chelsea.  
  
Mira ended contact with her spirit familiar, then slowly made her way into a corner, trying to remain unnoticeable. Hopefully, the blue sweatshirt and white skirt would serve its purpose well, making her look like a demure seventeen-year-old in need of help. Reaching into her sling bag, she drew out her palmtop, and prepared to make the connection.  
  
/Storm: Chelsea, how's the research going?/  
  
/Star: Not to good. What we're looking for is obscure information. The Internet was not much help, only a couple of myths on it. I'm checking my books now. Hopefully I'll get something useful out of them./  
  
/Storm: Use your powers. You have the ability./  
  
/Star: It won't work in this case. Oh yes, why contact me this way? We can always communicate telepathically./  
  
/Storm: You mean YOU can. You can start a communication with anyone telepathically, but I'm only limited to Saki./  
  
/Star: True. How's it going there?/  
  
/Storm: Nothing at Schwarz so far. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to establish a firm link with WeiB soon./  
  
/Star: OK, then. Good luck./  
  
Storm: You too. Happy researching!/  
  
Mira logged off just as the last 'customer' had been forced out of the shop. After closing the door, the red-head, Ran Fujimiya, motioned for her to follow him up to the apartment above the shop.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Omi glanced at the girl seated before them. She had to be about seventeen, and with raven hair and eyes as blue as sapphires, she was stunning. The blue sweatshirt and white skirt gave her an innocent look, but the fact remained that there was something uncanny about her. A fine silver chain hng around her neck, but as to what was hung on the chain, he could not tell, for it was hidden underneath the sweatshirt. As far as he could remember seeing her, her face had been an emotionless mask, and those blue eyes were too blue to be true, with something in them that hinted at things he would never see and never would want to see.  
  
He repressed a shiver, sounding his usual cheerful self as he started speaking. "Don't worry, we won't eat you. The blonde is Kudou Youji. The redhead is Fujimiya Aya, no Ran. We just call him Aya out of habit, and you can too. However, it does get a bit confusing, since his sister, that's the girl working with us in the shop, is called Aya. The brunette is Hidaka Ken. I'm Tsukiyono Omi. And you are?"  
  
"Call me Mira." Her voice, like her face, was totally expressionless.  
  
"Alright then, Mira-san. What can we do to help you?"  
  
"It's like this. My mother has just been hospitalized. Our family has enough money to pay the hospital bills, but that is all. The burden of providing for my family has fallen onto me. We just moved here, but I don't know when we would be moving away again. In the meanwhile, I need a job, for money. So I as wondering if I could work here. Please?"  
  
She focused those impossibly blue eyes on each WeiB member in turn. Omi could feel pity stirring in his heart. It would be impossible for him to say no, and he could see it was the same for Ken too. Youji would not mind having a girl this pretty working with them at the Koneko. As for Aya -  
  
Aya burst into the room. She had been listening at the door. Throwing her arms around her brother's neck, she started to beg. "Oh please say yes, onii-chan, please. Then I would have some company other then you four guys. And she is so much more pretty, all those boys would stop coming after me once they see her. Please?"  
  
Omi grinned. Once Aya started to beg, her red-haired brother would never refuse.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Mira was a temporary worker in the Koneko.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Nagi stared at the sweet wrapper in his hand. It was old and crumpled, but to him it was one of his most treasured possessions. How could he have left it forgotten in a corner of his cupboard?  
  
It started when Nagi, unable to find some diskettes, had started ransacking his cupboard looking for them. And it was then when he had found the sweet wrapper, placed in a small leather pouch and tucked away in the corner of his cupboard. He had paused, studying the small piece of multi- coloured paper, relishing the memories it had brought.  
  
He was only nine, and had hidden in an alley one night, trying to ignore the pain his hunger and wounds brought him. That was when she came, a bright spark of light in his life of misery and pain. She was like a beautiful yet cold and merciless goddess. Beautiful, with hair like a midnight waterfall and eyes as blue as a cloudless noonday sky. Cold and merciless, for throughout the entire encounter, she never betrayed any sign of emotion. At first, he had shrunk even further in the corner, for fear of being spotted and tortured even more, he was all too well known in that particular neighbourhood.  
  
But she had spotted him, and instead of hurling more stones at him, she approached him kindly, comforting him, asking him to come out. It was almost as though she had gone out looking for him. She had placed her hands over his wounds, and the wounds under her hand would emit a soft blue-white- silver glow, before miraculously healing, taking the pain away. She had brought him some bread and fruit, which he wolfed down. Before she left, she had given him a sweet, and a parting phrase, "Use your powers wisely."  
  
That was the first and last time he had ever seen her so far, but her words still stayed with him. He had kept the sweet wrapper with him, to remind him that somewhere out in the world, there was someone who cared about him and understood him.  
  
And now he was in Schwarz, no longer a street rat but someone earning his own keep, using his powers wisely. He held the sweet wrapper over his heart, wishing he could see that stranger again, knowing that she would be proud of him right now.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Chelsea glanced up as the door opened, admitting her raven-haired friend and sworn sister, with Saki close at his mistress's heels.  
  
"That Ferrari out there is yours, isn't it? That lobster red one."  
  
Green eyes met blue, before Chelsea broke into a broad grin. "Yup. It's a beauty, isn't it? You see, I decided it was high time I got some transport of my own, since it seemed that we would be in Japan for quite some time. Not to forget the fact that we might have to trail some people all over the country."  
  
"True." Mira nodded. "But don't you think red is a bit too noticeable?"  
  
Chelsea's grin only grew wider. She shrugged. "I've always like bright colours."  
  
By this time, Mira's amusement was obvious despite her lack of emotion. "Funny we should have the same thoughts."  
  
"Oh?" Curiosity shimmered in her emerald eyes.  
  
"Look down there."  
  
Sighing, Chelsea stood up and stretched, tossing the book she was reading aside. Crossing the room, she looked out of the window, to see a gleaming black motorcycle, a Harley Davidson to be more accurate, parked next to her Ferrari. She squinted, and her mouth dropped open as she realized the implications. "A Harley! You actually bought a Harley! Today?"  
  
Mira nodded. "Cool, isn't it?" She gestured to the great pile of books on Chelsea's bed. "How's the research going on?"  
  
Chelsea made a face. "Bad. Nothing except for those couple of legends I told you about. But I'm not done with my books yet. You'd never know when I might unearth something."  
  
"If you really can't find something in your library, you might want to try mine. And I'll try to get some from Caos's library he owes us big time."  
  
"Sure. Thanks. Oh, and on the topic of Lord Caos owing us big time, we've got a new mission." She handed the raven-haired girl a sheaf of papers. Two pairs of eyes, one blue and one tawny, studied it with interest. Finally, Mira looked up.  
  
"You, or me?"  
  
"You. You're better at such, and besides, I've got my books to keep me company for a long time."  
  
"Okay, then. Guess I better run. Here's your dinner."  
  
Chelsea glanced at the packet Mira had placed on her desk. "Sushi AGAIN?"  
  
"I don't mind sushi, and the shop's near here hence easier to buy," was the indifferent reply.  
  
"Why you. ." Chelsea shook a fist at the closed door, before glancing down at her dinner. Guess she would have to settle on sushi for dinner for the tenth time in the row.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Omi looked in the direction of the latest addition to their happy family in the Koneko and smiled. He had to admit, things were a lot easier now that they had an extra hand. The week was almost drawing to a close, and soon WeiB would be in the safe hose provided by Kritiker. And stuck with Schwarz. He made a face.  
  
He had a feeling all of them would miss having Mira around when she left, or when he and his teammates had to move out. Despite her cold demeanor, she was really a nice person, getting along well with everyone, and doing more than her fair share of work.  
  
Just like now. She was balancing five pots of flowers and at the same time flirting outrageously with an entire crowd of boys and his blonde teammate. Never mind she never once cracked a smile, her mysterious and icy demeanor seemed to be one of her attractive points. He made his way to her just as she was setting the flowerpots down.  
  
"Busy day, don't you agree, Mira-san? Lucky my school has given us a month off, starting from Sunday, else the others would never be able to handle this crowd." All around him girls shot envious looks at the raven- haired girl, while the boys shot glares of jealousy at him.  
  
"Mmm. ." Mira made a mutual sound. As much as she did not wish to admit, the crowd was driving her crazy, though her self-control prevented her from showing it. And she was getting sick of the flirting. She might have done it before on missions as a cover of sorts, but it was never this extensive. It just wasn't her.  
  
Think about the latest mission, how easy the kill was. Just one flick of the wrist, and that wimpy guy was a goner. He deserved it, killing innocent children the way he did, all in the name of some sort of sick ritual. She took a deep breath and counted to ten.  
  
Chelsea had better finish her research soon. So far there was no real headway. Once this week was over, she could drop all pretense of being a poor seventeen-year-old, and be her true self. Lucky Saki, watching Schwarz was a lot easier. But those in Schwarz had some physic powers, thus a spirit familiar would be more appropriate for the job, namely Saki. Beside, those from WeiB were those who burst in on her mission the last week, and she was curious to know just what kind of people they were.  
  
"Ken! Delivery!" Youji's shout interrupted her thoughts. Glancing up, she saw ken struggle his way out of the shop, leaving a trail of disappointed looking girls. She glanced at Omi, realizing he was speaking to her.  
  
". . almost lunch time. Argh! Why did Ken-kun have to leave so fast? I could have coerced him into buying us lunch!"  
  
"Why don't I buy you all lunch?" She need an excuse to get out of here, fast.  
  
"But you need all the money you can get!" Omi looked at the girl beside him, surprised.  
  
"True, but all of you have been so nice to me, I really owe you something." With that, Mira dashed out of the Koneko, paused briefly to put a protective circle round the shop to last while she was away. She considered her motorbike, then decided against it. It was parked outside at her apartment, getting it would waste time. Besides, it was too noisy, and she could be faster than it if she wanted to, and a lot more quieter. She darted towards the road, racing after Ken's motorbike with the grace and speed of a snow leopard.  
  
She grinned to herself. Ken wasn't in much of a hurry, and his motorbike was easy to spot. Following him was going to be a piece of cake.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Schuldich glanced nervously behind him. Try as he might, he still could not shake off the feeling that something was following him. At first, he had cast around for the mind of his mysterious shadow, hoping to mess with it and thus teach whoever was following him a lesson.  
  
However, he could not locate any mind, like he was being shut out. And whenever he spun around, there was nobody in sight. All this seemed to indicate that whatever was trailing him, it was not human.  
  
Stop thinking about such things. Stop, stop, stop. But he couldn't. Before he had gone out, Brad had said something about a pair of tawny cat- like eyes staring out of darkness. He had laughed it off, but now, alone in a dark alley, it seemed more than possible. Those eyes boring into his back, their owner stalking him. .  
  
Stalking, what a horrible thought. Like he was the prey, ensnared in a web, the unknown hunter drawing him in closer, tighter. Shadows reached out like many clawed hands, wishing to grab him, strangle him. He could not stop the thoughts from filling his mind, making him more and more nervous. Only a few more metres, once you're through this alley you're back to the safety of your teammates.  
  
Suddenly, something white flashed over his head, and an unearthly howl filled his ears. Then all was quiet.  
  
Fear made him run, breaking his personal best. It was all he could do not to wet his pants. Before he dashed into the house, he got an impression of a pair of tawny cat-like eyes, staring at him from the darkness of the alley.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Ken glanced around nervously as he parked his motorcycle in the alley behind the Koneko. All the while through his delivery and back, he had the uncomfortable feeling that someone was following him, yet try as he might he could not spot anyone.  
  
And now, alone in a dark alley, the feeling of being watched was much stronger. He could practically sense a pair of eyes boring a hole in his back. Unfortunately for him, his bugnuks were currently in his room back at the Koneko. He would just have to be careful. And fast.  
  
He glanced up just as something silver flashed overhead him. An unearthly howl making his spine tingle and his hair stand, and all was quiet. He spun a in quick circle, looking for something his eyes could not see. Nothing. Nothing but darkness.  
  
Ken broke into a run, longing for the sense of security the crowd in the Koneko would provide. He did not see a figure step out, watching him in an almost pensive way, holding something silver which flashed in the dark. And all around the alley lay what looked like the carcasses of huge dogs. But unlike their living counterparts, these were black as night. Slowly, ever so slowly, they evaporated, living the lone figure standing there, electric blue eyes staring out of the darkness.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Brad sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose bridge. He was getting a headache, and not just from his team members as well. His visions had never been so vague and confusing, and every time he tried to figure them out his head would hurt, making him feel more and more irritated. Who wouldn't be, if you kept getting visions you did not want at the most inappropriate times?  
  
To add to his irritation, his teammates were doing more and more things which only got on his nerves. He couldn't blame them, he himself was more than a little annoyed about having to work with WeiB, much less having to share the same house as them. And he detested having unknown people play bodyguard for him. HE was the one who usually played bodyguard. It would be most degrading should he have bodyguards forced on him.  
  
Finally, unable to stand it, he had gone out for a walk.  
  
He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he did not realize the person before him. Too late, the next thing which registered in his mind was him lying on the pavement with someone crouching next to him.  
  
"Are you okay?" A mesmerizing, musical voice spoke, shaking him out of his daze. A girl who looked no older than seventeen, with hair as black as a starless night and eyes like sapphires regarded him, her face as emotionless as her voice.  
  
She's beautiful, he thought, then blushed. Where had that thought come from? She was probably way too young for him. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He winced and stood up, dusting his suit. Great, just what he needed to make his day all the more perfect - his suit getting dirty and he having a painful butt from falling hard on the pavement.  
  
"I'm sorry. I was not looking." He quickly apologized, then started as he realized he had spoken in English, something he almost never did in Japan.  
  
"It's okay. See you later." With that, the girl stood up and left.  
  
Brad glanced around, startled to find that he was nearer to his house than he had thought. But then again, he had not been paying much attention to his surroundings. All the well, he thought, as a vision of a manila envelope lying on the porch of the house struck him.  
  
It was only after he had picked up the envelope did he realize that the girl had spoken in English, and despite all she had said, had never once uttered the word 'sorry'. This made him scowl in annoyance, but this was quickly replaced by a slight frown of puzzlement as he remembered her parting phrase. 'See you later.' What could she have meant by that? Maybe simple politeness. Who knew?  
  
All pondering had to stop when he stepped into the house. Farfarello was licking his knife in the corner if the living room, looking curiously at he couch where Nagi and Schuldich sat, the latter stammering and shaking with fear while the former trying to comfort him.  
  
Brad raised his eyebrow. Schuldich was one who never showed feelings which would put him in bad light, always acting with bravado. One of the few times when he had seen his orange-haired teammate actually how some weakling-feelings was when Takatori had punished him with a golf club. But even then it had not been as bad as this.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Nagi and Schuldich jumped. The latter was in no position to answer, so Magi replied. "I'm not really sure. Schu came in this state, saying something about hunter and prey, someone stalking him."  
  
Brad nodded, it matched one of those weird visions he had recently received. The pair of tawny cat-lie eyes he had Seen returned to haunt him. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. There were matters at hand which needed to be settled.  
  
He slapped Schuldich hard across the face. The telepath stopped and blinked, trying to clear away the pain.  
  
"Hysteria. You should have thrown him across the room, Nagi. It'll be a lot more effective."  
  
"I know Brad. I just didn't want to hurt him." The brown-haired boy opened the manila envelope, curious. "We've got something from Kritiker." He pronounced the secret organization's name like it was something not said in polite society.  
  
In it were two sheets of paper, which Nagi glanced through before continuing. "They would pick us up tomorrow morning to bring us to the safe house. Look out for a champagne-coloured limousine. As for the second . . . Come take a look at this. I can't believe Kritiker would allow such profiles in the data base. Even the profiles of those from WeiB, as undetailed as they were, were a thousand times more detailed than this.  
  
"What is it?" Schuldich picked up the second sheet of paper which the youngest member of Schwarz had thrown down.  
  
"Profiles of the so-called bodyguards which we have to share with WeiB." Nagi gestured at the sheet of paper in Schuldich's hand disdainfully. "Maybe I could check to see what I can get."  
  
Already the computer had booted up as Nagi headed towards it.  
  
Schuldich scanned through, raising an eyebrow. The information given did not even fill half the piece of paper, which read:  
  
SCHWESTERN - PROFILES  
  
CODE NAME: STORM  
  
BIRTHDAY: 22ND DECEMBER  
  
WEAPON: CHAKRAM  
  
NOTES: EXCELLENT FIGHTER, HAS A SNOW LEOPARD, ELEMENTAL MAGE  
  
CODE NAME: STAR  
  
BIRTHDAY: 22ND JUNE  
  
WEAPON: DAGGER  
  
NOTES: I.T. AND RESEARCH EXPERT, CLAIRVOYANT  
  
"They are not part of Kritiker, but work under someone else. Maybe that's why they can get away with such scanty information. Anything on the net?"  
  
"Nothing." Nagi gave a frustrated shake of his head, shutting the computer down.  
  
"There's no record of Schwestern in Kritiker's network, nor anywhere over the Net. I think this bit of scanty information given to us is already considered more than is needed by those they work for."  
  
"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. Just remember, during our stay in the safe house, I don't want you and WeiB to be killing each other. We can always find out more about them during our stay." Brad looked up from the 'profiles'. Another clairvoyant, it would be interesting. And what in the world did they mean when they said elemental mage? Somehow, the strange raven-haired, blue-eyed girl came into his mind.  
  
He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. Seeing Schuldich's look directed at him, his mental shields went up.  
  
Inwardly, he sighed. There was nothing for him to do but to wait.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
"Are you sure these are called profiles?" Youji stared incredulously at the two woman standing behind him.  
  
Mira had returned with food shortly after Ken had returned. She had left early,  
  
saying that there was something she had to do, and that she was moving again and would not be able to help out anymore. This had dampened their spirits, for each of them had appreciated and liked Mira's company. Even though she seemed to be below eighteen - seventeen years old, she was still fun to be with, and she could flirt even better than most of the girls he knew if she wanted to. That and the fact that she was also very, very beautiful.  
  
Shortly after Mira had left, Manx and Birman had arrived, and since then they had been in the basement where their meetings were carried out. They had each received profiles of their so-called bodyguards. Or at least, what was called a profile. For the information was so scanty that they might as well have not read the profiles at all.  
  
"Maybe their sexy and over eighteen. Their taste would be good enough to appreciate having a high class guy like me around." Youji flicked his cigarette away, a dreamy, far away look in his eyes.  
  
Everyone remained quiet, except Ken, who snorted in reply. "You'd never know. They could be so scarred from so many fights that they're disfigured beyond recognition. Or worse still, they could be male. You wouldn't want that, would you?"  
  
"Just shut up." Youji made a fist at his soccer-loving teammate, while everyone in the room, even Aya, laughed.  
  
"And we thought WE were secretive. Can't you get anything out for us?" Omi turned imploring eyes to the two women.  
  
"Sorry, but there is no way we can get anything. Believe me, we tried, but our source won't reveal anything else, saying what was given was more than necessary. And neither could our networks penetrate all this secrecy." Manx sighed, as she and Birman stood up to leave. Just get packed. We'll pick you up tomorrow morning. Watch out for a champagne- coloured limousine."  
  
And with that the two Kritiker agents left, leaving the remaining occupants in the room to work their imagination.  
  
+~+~+~+  
  
Mira burst in on her blonde friend and sworn sister, Saki hot on her heels. "Chelsea, can't you get anything? The week was quiet, but today things started to liven up. They were actually followed and almost attacked by the weirdest creatures you could ever see . . ." She trailed off as she noticed Chelsea was not even paying attention.  
  
Annoyed, she grabbed a cushion and aimed it at the girl whose face was buried in a book.  
  
"OWWW!" Emerald eyes looked up in irritation. "That HURT! You don't even know your strength."  
  
"I perfectly well know my own strength," Mira replied calmly. "Now would you just LISTEN to me?"  
  
"Later, you must see this." Chelsea shoved the book under her friend's nose, pointing at the picture. "Look at this picture. I heard you the first time. I think the assailants were these." She jabbed a finger at the hulking shapes drawn around a glowing jewel the colour of blood.  
  
Mira drew in a sharp breath. "That's the one. Now what?"  
  
"I'm not really sure, I only came across this a minute ago. The legends I found only spoke of the making of the Xue Shi, but this actually talks about it. Listen, ' . . . hidden in a great chamber in the heart of fire and blood, guarded by the most fearsome beasts ever created. Beats with the power to see through the night. Once the Xue Shi leaves its resting place, the guardians of the awesome jewel shall hunt whoever stole it to the last drop of blood, generation after generation, until the jewel is returned . . .' It trails of after this, than goes on to talk about a subject totally unrelated to the Xue Shi. I think I might need more specialized books."  
  
"Okay then." Mira shrugged, picking up the two pieces of paper on Chelsea's desk.  
  
"That just came in. the address of the safe house, and the profile WeiB and Schwarz received about us. Profiles that don't really count as profile's if you ask me." Chelsea glanced up long enough to see what had caught her friend's attention, before glancing back to her book.  
  
"Sure. You go to the safe house first, I have some things to attend tomorrow before I leave." With that, the door to Chelsea's room closed, leaving the blonde to scowl over her books.  
  
=-=-=  
  
I hate holiday homework I hate holiday homework I hate holiday homework . . .  
  
Oh well, to whoever is reading this: R+R please! =) 


End file.
